Godfather of Harlem

Name: Godfather of Harlem
Genre: Drama
Released: September 29, 2019
Rating: 72

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Ratings

See All

6.9

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

6.9	Your Score
6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Godfather Of Harlem: Die Teaser

Now Playing: Godfather Of Harlem: Die Teaser

Series Details & Credits

EPIX | MGM+ | Release Date: September 29, 2019

Summary: In the 1960s, crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) returns to Harlem after a decade in prison to find it under the control of the Italian mob and becomes friends with Malcolm X (Nigél Thatch) this drama from Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein.

Genre(s): Drama

Recent Episodes

tbd
S3:E10. Our Black Shining Prince
Air Date: March 26, 2023
tbd
S3:E9. We Are All Kings
Air Date: March 19, 2023
tbd
S3:E8. Homeland or Death
Air Date: March 12, 2023

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

RogerEbert.com Brian Tallerico

Sep 27, 2019

Season 1 Review: It is an ambitious, layered period piece about Harlem in the mid-‘60s that seeks to dramatize the often intersecting movements of the mafia and the battle for civil rights. The Oscar-winning star of “The Last King of Scotland” holds it all together, but this is definitely an ensemble piece, and it’s smart, engaging television that only occasionally falters under the weight of its ambition to tell a few too many stories at once. Read full review

Lorraine Ali

Sep 30, 2019

Season 1 Review: Fast-paced and captivating. ... Its depiction of a racially divided, corrupt and often venal world rings just as true today. Read full review

Malcolm Venable

Oct 10, 2019

Season 1 Review: Godfather of Harlem has a way of sucking viewers into its seductive sphere, where silly asides live comfortably with explosive, gory violence as well as informed dreams of what Harlem might've been like at a pivotal point in history. Read full review

Verne Gay

Sep 27, 2019

Season 1 Review: Whitaker and the rest of the cast are first-rate, but what's most compelling about "Godfather" are its apparent ambitions. Read full review

Tim Goodman

Sep 30, 2019

Season 1 Review: Whitaker is excellent, D'Onofrio's wilder side meshes with Sorvino's quiet one, and Thatch, who has already played Malcolm X before in Selma, is excellent playing off both Whitaker and Esposito. ... By the end of the third episode, the series has leaned in hard to more soap-box and/or convenient moments to tie these massive storylines into something cohesive, but it's too rushed and manipulative, with the episode's ending looking like a music video. Read full review

Daniel D'Addario

Sep 9, 2019

Season 1 Review: Through his recessive and quiet charisma, [Forest Whitaker] provides the strongest case for the series. The show’s depiction of the Italian mobsters as raffish louts lacks any imagination or real take on the material. (Give them credit, at least, for going with the best: The casting of the likes of Vincent D’Onofrio, Paul Sorvino, and Chazz Palminteri gives scenes that otherwise feel tired a nice patina of quality.) Read full review

IndieWire Tambay Obenson

Sep 30, 2019

Season 1 Review: Despite Bumpy’s higher goals in a series that hones in on issues of the era that were especially of importance to black Americans, ultimately it’s aiming more for popcorn watchability than for Emmys, and can really only be appreciated on those terms. Read full review

SEE ALL 11 REVIEWS

User Score

Write a Review

6.9

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

User Reviews

Linzi123x

Nov 5, 2019

Love it cant wait for next week , want to relax and catch up while the fireworks go off

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Seasons & Episodes

72

Series Overview
Season 3

tbd
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: January 15, 2023
- tbd
  S3:E10. Our Black Shining Prince
  Air Date: March 26, 2023
- tbd
  S3:E9. We Are All Kings
  Air Date: March 19, 2023
- tbd
  S3:E8. Homeland or Death
  Air Date: March 12, 2023
- tbd
  S3:E7. All Roads Lead to Malcolm
  Air Date: March 5, 2023
- tbd
  S3:E6. Spooks
  Air Date: February 26, 2023
- tbd
  S3:E5. Angel of Death
  Air Date: February 19, 2023
- tbd
  S3:E4. Captain Fields
  Air Date: February 5, 2023
- tbd
  S3:E3. Mecca
  Air Date: January 29, 2023
- tbd
  S3:E2. Alzado
  Air Date: January 22, 2023
- tbd
  S3:E1. The Negro in White America
  Air Date: January 15, 2023
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: April 18, 2021
Season 1

72
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: September 29, 2019